| Catherine of Aragon's Wedding Ring | |
|---|---|
| |
|
Origin |
Catherine of Aragon |
|
Type |
Wedding Ring |
|
Effects |
Absolute Blindness |
|
Downsides |
Effect(s) |
|
Activation |
Contact |
|
Collected by |
|
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
385464-2845 |
|
Shelf |
652482-9534-281 |
|
Date of Collection |
August 23, 1769 |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Catherine of Aragon (1485–1536) was born the daughter to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Though mostly known as the first wife to English monarch Henry VIII, Catherine had originally been engaged to his older brother, Arthur, and married him in 1501.
Arthur's untimely death a year later meant Catherine was then arranged to be married to Henry VIII in 1509, after several years of negotiations with the church over the law of marrying a brother's widow, and Spain and England arguing over her dowry. This was further complicated by the death of her mother, who was the inheritor of the Spanish throne - meaning that Catherine's worth as a bride was severely diminished in the eyes of Henry VII, who banned the marriage. She was forced to live in relative poverty in England for several years until she was appointed the first Aragonese ambassador, and then wed to Henry VIII after the death of his father.
During her reign, Catherine provided moral support to soldiers, and sponsored emerging philosophers - by all accounts a popular queen by the people. Unfortunately, though Catherine had given birth to six children, only one survived - who was not a male heir. In addition to this, Henry eventually fell in love with her lady-in-waiting Anne Boleyn. Henry pleaded with Pope Clement VII for a divorce, citing their matrimony violated biblical law regarding marriage between a man and his brother's widow, hence why their marriage had been "childless."
Clement refused. In response, Henry split England from the Papacy and formalized the Anglican Church, or the Church of England in 1553. Catherine's marriage was finally annulled, meaning Henry had no place in his court for her. She refused to recognize the legitimacy of the annulment and still considered herself queen, ignoring the king's request for her jewels to give to Boleyn. Catherine remained in Kimbolton Castle as a virtual prisoner until the end of her life, and was denied visits with her daughter Mary.
Effects[]
Infused with her anguish and conviction, and sordid history with marriage, so long as her ring makes contact with the skin, it literally blinds anyone who wears it from being able to see anything but the ring.